G Kishan Reddy, Union Minister for Culture, Tourism and Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) visited the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi on 2nd October to inspect the various gifts received by the Prime Minister and reviewed the progress of the e-auction. The Minister was accompanied by Secretary, Culture, Shri Govind Mohan, DG NGMA Shri Adwaita Gadanayak and senior officers of the Ministry and NGMA.To commemorate the 152nd birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, the Minister paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi and also spontaneously drew on the canvas Mahatma Gandhi’s spectacles that denote his simplicity with a caption of “Swachatha”This is the 3rd round of e-auctions of prestigious and memorable gifts presented to Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi and is being held from 17th September to 7th October 2021 through the web portal https://pmmementos.gov.in.
Speaking at the National Gallery of Modern Art the Union Minister said, “Shri Narendra Modi ji is the first ever Prime Minister of India, who has decided to auction all the gifts he receives. The proceeds from the e-auction will go towards the noble cause of conserving the lifeline of the country- the Holy River Ganga through Namami Gange”.“The Hon’ble PM has often described Ganga as a symbol of the country’s cultural glory and faith”, he added .1348 mementos are being e-auctioned this year. The mementos include the equipment gifted to the Prime Minister by winners of the Tokyo 2020 paralympics games and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Union Minister G Kishan Reddy said “As on 1st October, 1081 items have received bids and the mementos are on display at the National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi” he added.The Union Minister encouraged all those who are passionate in contributing to the noble cause of conserving the lifeline of the country- the river Holy river Ganga through “Namami Gange”may take part in the e-auction. “The Hon’ble PM has often described Ganga as a symbol of the country's cultural glory and faith. From the point of the river's origin at Gaumukh in Uttarakhand to where it merged with the sea in West Bengal; the mighty river enriches the lives of half of the country's population.” the Minister added.